


Monsters Inside Me

by ghostboicay



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Death, Eldritch, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Ben Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves, Monsters, Number Five | The Boy has PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:48:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22582024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostboicay/pseuds/ghostboicay
Summary: When Five time travelled, the apocalypse was just the half of it. When he returns home to the academy, the halls were silent and only six of his siblings remain. Five learns why Klaus hated dad, and Five did too until his grim adventure. Now, he only came to understand why Reginald let Ben die.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue

"It looks like some sort of temporal anomaly!" Luther shouts, a loud, blue shape manifesting in the sky above the courtyard.

"Watch out!" Klaus shouted as he ran past Luther, throwing a fire extinguisher up into the blue portal which gladly sucked it up.

"Yea what's that gonna do??" Allison shouts.

"I don't know! Do you have a better idea?" Klaus turns to her and responds.

Suddenly, the portal disappeared and a small body dropped from it, being left behind. They remained still for a second before shifting and turning to look up at the siblings who slowly began to crowd around him.

"Does anybody else.. see little number Five, or is that just me?"

+++

  
"What's the date? The exact date." Five speaks as he makes his sandwich, smearing peanut butter onto the bread with care before adding the mini marshmallows.

"The twenty fourth, of March.." Vanya responds, still in shock that Five was here in front of her. He was so... different. Did he remember? It wasn't at all important at the moment, she was sure, but.. did he still feel the same?

"Good." Five responds, taking a bite out of his sandwich. It remained silent before Luther spoke.

"Are we not gonna talk about what just happened?" He asks, staring his brother down.

"What's there to say? I went to the future, and now I'm back. It's shit, by the way."

"Called it!" Klaus spoke up, hand lifting in the air.

"Yea? Why was it so shit?" Diego asks, needing answers. Five doesn't respond, he only gives a vague answer, as Five was always so good at doing.

"It's nothing like what we're used to. Though I did find out some things."

"Yea that's helpful." Luther rolls his eyes.

"What things?" Vanya asks, voice remaining soft and quieter than the rest. Five just stares at her, remaining silent.

+++

Klaus slowly places a cigarette between his lips, music on softly in the background as he lights it. He wraps his lips around it before inhaling deeply, holding the smoke in his lungs before exhaling gently. He relaxed under its smokey spell, his eyes slipping close to that and the music.

Suddenly there is a blue flash of light before Five is there. Klaus slowly sits up as he studies his brother, looking over his face. "Hi.." he speaks, voice small and broken when he does.

"Where's Ben?" Five asks suddenly, though he already knew. He had to tell someone about his knowledge - someone other than him had to know.

"Dearest Ben... why, he died years ago. During the mission... after you left," Klaus spoke, giving off child-like innocence, other than holding a cigarette between his skinny fingers. "Such tragedy..." he says as he places the cigarette back between his lips and takes a deep drag. Five tilts his head as he studies him, gaze deep in his brothers.

"How?" He asks, stepping closer. Klaus only stares at him, exhaling smoke before taking another drag.

"It was bad..." is all he responds.

"Bad how?" Five presses on, wanting to hear the words come out of his mouth. But they didn't, because he had no idea. All he remembers from that day is after the mission was complete, Ben was no where to be found. The next day there was a funeral. The next week, Klaus was drugged up and he hasn't been clean since.

"You don't know." Five says, shaking his head. "Because dad never told you. He never told anyone. I had to find out myself."

"Oh? Pray tell." Klaus responds, shifting to sit cross legged, making sure his skirt kept everything covered, exhaling more smoke into the precious air.

"I have to tell you all at the same time." Five said, before he was gone in a flash of blue.


	2. .One.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blood and Gore Warning

Everyone sat in the living room, watching a pacing Five. His hands were in his pockets, his eyebrows furrowed together. Everyone watched in silence before Vanya decided to speak up. "Five.. you said you knew what happened?" She speaks softly.

"I'm not the only one, but yes. I know." Five responds before looking at Luther. Everyone else followed his gaze.

"What are you saying?" Luther speaks, voice remaining calm though his lifted eyebrows and tensed shoulders revealed he was quite offended.

"I know you know what happened that day. You were right there with dad." Five accuses, turning to face the tallest, pointing a finger at him.

"Woah, hey. What makes you so sure?" Allison speaks up, not just defending Luther because of the tension between the two, but because she knew him. She knew he would have told her, _if_ there was something up. She knew he was innocent.

"What part of time travel don't you understand? I went went to the future, I went to the past. I _saw_ what happened."

"Alright then, smart guy. Tell us." Diego speaks, arms crossed as he watches him. Five's gaze hardens at his words and he looks among the expecting faces of his siblings. He knew the words, very well. But they refused to leave his mouth.

"Five.. what happened?" Vanya speaks after a silence, her voice gentle, always taking into consideration that Five had to have seen some awful stuff...

Five stares at her, gaze filled with tension and terror at all that he had seen.

+++

  
Five was for sure he would be stuck in the apocalypse forever. It had been years that he had left the academy, seen his family, seen Vanya...

He walks about the dusty trail to where a bar used to be. Sitting on an old bar stool that still stood, he pulls out her book from his bag, _Extra Ordinary: My Life as Number Seven_. Inside contained all of his equations and thoughts about how to get back home.

So far, none of it worked.

Funny, Dolores had always told him he had an equation wrong. And when he sat there, looking through each equation, he saw it. It was wrong. How had he not looked at it sooner? Why didn't he listen to her??

After making adjustments, he tried to teleport again. It worked. He went back, just.. a little too far.

"I can't find my knives!" He hears as little Diego runs back down the hall in the direction of his room, before hearing Allison chase after Luther. _Shit_.

He realised this was the beginning of a mission he had missed, and that no one there could see him in that moment (which was good, actually). He followed each of his siblings down the stairs and outside into the limo, sitting where he would normally sit. He glances around at them all, frowning deeply.

He notices Luther and Allison talking, though his gaze focuses on Klaus and Ben across from him. "How do you feel?" Klaus asks him gently, patting his knee in a (what he assumed to be) friendly manner. Ben only shrugs, playing with his fingers in his lap.

"I feel okay, I guess. I feel like I could explode." He jokes, smiling softly as he pats Klaus's hand. Klaus smiles and grabs his hand, squeezing it in his own. He had always known Klaus was closest to Ben and vice versa, he just didn't know _how_ close.

He never asked, either.

Soon they arrive to the mall where the criminals had broke in and captured one hundred six hostages. They were all either elders, children, or mothers and they were mostly female. The gunmen wore halloween masks over their faces, guns in their hands and knives strapped across their chests and thighs. Five follows each of the kids and watches as they do their thing in saving the mall.

Soon screams rang out through one of the halls and small shops, and the sound of glass breaking followed. From past missions, Five recognized this to be work from none other than Number Six. Five sneaks up to the shop; he was pretty sure he couldn't be seen either way, but he decided it was best to stay hidden just in case. Looking inside, he saw all of the tentacles and heard screams. Bloody bodies were flung out of the shop, others ripped in half.

Some were too mangled to identify, others were no where to be found.

Five grimaces at the blood, frowning as he watches more than one person being ripped in half, their innards falling to the floor before the lifeless body. This happens to several victims.

"Ben!" Five turns to Allison, hearing her speak. Ben was in the midst of it all, unable to stop the monsters from killing any more. "I heard a rumour!" Allison yells over the growls, which only intensify.

Next thing Five hears is gun shots making his ears ring, followed by more demonic screaming from the Eldritch. "Dammit!" Five jumps when he hears Reginald mutter next to him. He had several back up gunmen from the army, and Five looks from them back into the shop at Ben. His face was horrified, trying desperately to get the Eldritch to go home. They refused and weren't going anywhere.

"Aim for the boy!" Reginald shouts at the army.

"No! Wait- stop!" Five looks over to Klaus, watching as Luther holds the boy back. Klaus struggles in his arms, trying to get to Ben. More gunshots rang in the air as blood splattered as bullets hit Ben. He cries out as he is put in even more pain, the monsters getting more and more angry. Ben screams in pain as he feels himself ripping - literally - as the monsters attempt to get away. "No! Stop!" Klaus cries out in a scream, still trying to get to Ben.

Suddenly, it all went silent and stopped just as soon as it began. Ben's lifeless body fell to the floor, creatures dead along with him. "Everyone outside and into the car- NOW!" Reginald shouts at the remaining children. They all turn and leave, Diego having to pull then literally carry a panicking Klaus outside.

Five stares at the gruesome scene before him, frowning deeply at it all. Klaus's horrified screams still rang in his ears as the poor boy tried so desperately to get to his brother... His brother, which, now lie on the floor, dead. FIve follows Reginald over to his body, watching as he inspects him.

The creatures lay outside his stomach, which now, Reginald could tell, had literally became a part of him. Before, they had to be summoned from a portal inside him. Now, they _were_ him. Ben had literally become The Horror itself.

Five's body trembles at everything he had just experienced. He backs away from Reginald and what used to be his brother, turning and running out to the limo in which they arrived in. He sits in his previous spot, covering his mouth with shaking hands as tears leaked from his eyes.

Five _never_ cried.

He glanced at his siblings, looking at all of their horrified and shocked faces. It affected Klaus worst. The poor boy sat in Diego's arms, crying and gripping onto him tight as he shook and sobbed. His whole body shook as the poor confused boy had witnessed his best friend be ripped apart and shot. He wipes his own eyes dry, though more tears only came.

He was so innocent... so sweet and understanding. All of them went to Ben if they were upset, knowing the boy was easy to talk to and understood so much.

He understood what it was like to feel ugly.

He understood what it was like to feel worthless.

He understood what it was like to feel greedy.

He understood what it was like to hate his power.

He understood what it was like to feel scared of his power.

And most of all, he understood what it was like to feel as if there was nothing special about him at all, how it felt to feel that one day, he would explode with power and not only kill himself, but everyone he loved. Whether it be by his hands on accident, or by their own hands due to the accident that occurred that horrible day.


	3. Two.

Once they arrived back to the Academy, Five follows his siblings to the living room where Reginald told them all to meet. Klaus was still a mess, Diego being beside him to comfort him. Reginald entered with Grace by his side, a tray in her hands. "What happened tonight was.. awful..." Pogo, who Five only just noticed by him speaking, began. "It was tragic in every manner. Tomorrow we will hold the funeral for our teammate, and our brother. Grace has some medicine for each of you to take that will help you have a better recovery in the morning."

Pogo spoke, his face and eyes holding all of the sadness the children felt. Grace gave each of them two small pills and a glass of water, and Reginald took it in, watching as each of them took the drugs. It would help them recover better over night. It would also help them forget everything that happened.

Five didn't get any.

After taking the pills, they were all excused to either go to bed or to dinner that had been prepared just in case anyone was hungry. No one had an appetite to eat, and no one showed up for dinner.

Five follows Klaus to his bedroom, watching as Diego joined him. Five enters as well, standing by the door as he just watches Diego cradle a sobbing Klaus, rubbing his back and attempting to shush him. "It's gonna be okay.." he says, though he wasn't sure of his own words.

"It really isn't.." Klaus says, gripping him tighter as he sobs harder. Diego just frowns, defeated, knowing he was right.

"I'm here for you..." Diego says, hugging Klaus tight and keeping him close to him. Klaus just cries and attempts to thank him through his tears.

"I want him here.. I want to cuddle him and hold him and.. p-protect him..." Klaus cries harder into him. Diego frowns deeply and rubs Klaus's back.

"It isn't your fault, Klaus. Please _never_ think that it is." Diego speaks, holding him close.

"I could have helped! I should have punched Luther and jumped in there, and-" Diego cuts him off.

"Then what would you have done? Klaus there was nothing anyone could do.. The monsters were literally killing Ben. He was suffering..." he speaks gently, continuing to rub his back. "He's in a better place..." he whispers softly, nuzzling into his hair.

"I want him here with me..." Klaus's cries die down to broken sobs. Diego nods gently.

"I know you do, but..." he just holds him and closes his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Klaus..."

Five turns and leaves after that, unable to watch any more. He heads down the hall and into Reginald's office, entering and glaring at him. He walks over to his desk, watching as the man scrawled down words in his journal. He reads over the page, beginning at the top and reading down to where he was writing currently.

_June 8, 2002_   
_Number Six is in extreme pain. He throws_ _up_ _everything he eats. Now it_ _isn't_ _by_ _choice_ _. His_ _inability_ _to_ _hold_ _in food has come to the_ _conclusion_ _that the Eldritch prefer meat._

_June 11, 2002_  
 _Further tests prove Nunber Six has stopped_ _vomiting_ _after every meal when there is more meat. He is more_ _vulnerable_ _and_ _seems to be_ _in extreme_ _pain as_ _of_ _11:31 A.M. Further_ _tests_ _show the Eldritch are forming a more stronger bond to their host._

_June 14, 2002_   
_Number Six is_ _completely_ _vulnerable. The Eldritch have formed a stronger bond to their host. Further_ _examination_ _proves that he will destroy himself which will lead_ _to_ _the_ _destruction_ _of others._

_June_ _18, 2002_  
 _Further studies upon Number Six prove_ _he_ _as the host has lost_ _complete_ _control_ _. It is_ _theorized_ _that_ _The Horror will snap during the next mission and destroy_ _many_ _lives if something is not_ _done_ _. There is_ _nothing_ _anyone can do as of today._

_June_ _21, 2002_   
_Number Six will not likely survive another mission. As the host he has no_ _control_ _and there is_ _nothing_ _in his nor my_ _power_ _that can_ _save_ _him. We can only hope for the best._

Five read over all of his notes and frowns. Reginald... he knew. He knew Ben would die today. He knew he would lose control and that the monsters would take over his body, making it, and him, their own.

But how? How could Reginald possibly know this..?

Five looks at Reginald and slowly backs away, turning and running out of the room and to the courtyard. He then attempts to time travel back, the blue light from his hands growing and growing to soon envelope his whole body. He makes it, and falls to the ground. His siblings, much older than himself, stand before him.

He made it.

+++

  
"What? Dad.. dad knew?" Klaus looks at him, his face breaking along with his heart, once again. Five goes to speak before he is interrupted.

"Dad was a monster, just like Ben. I'm not surprised he didn't try to help him." Diego speaks, arms crossed.

"Don't you dare say that!" Klaus hisses at Diego, tears coming to his eyes. "Ben was not a monster! You can not just.. be told everything that happened then say it was his fault!" Klaus was screaming at his brother at this point, voice shakey and defensive.

"Listen. You were all drugged and forced to forget what even happened. Dad never intended to.. let us know about it. It was awful-" Five speaks, but is interrupted once more.

"You of all people should be against him!" Klaus shouts, pointing a finger at him.

"I'm not saying I'm for him. I'm saying I understand why he-"

"Why he killed him? So you would have killed him too if you had the chance?" Klaus was beyond frantic, hands shaking and eyes wild.

"Listen."

"No, you listen!"

" _Klaus_." Diego speaks, and Klaus goes quiet. For now.

"Ben suffered greatly. His monsters were literally killing him, for who knows how long. Dad somehow knew, and he should have tried to help him when he first realised he was being hurt." Five speaks, trying to remain calm. Klaus listened, tears threatening his eyes. "Do I agree with why he killed him on the mission? Yes. There was no saving him."

"There was always saving him. Dad just doesn't care." Klaus hisses before leaving the room, shoving past Five and running up the stairs. Five looks at the ground, flinching at the distant sound of the door slamming close.

+++

  
"Why..." Klaus sobs, body shaking.

"Why what?" Ben asks, frowning. The ghost had told the story to Klaus five times. Before, Ben was never up to talk about it. Every time Klaus would try to ask him why he never tried to get away, or to kill dad, or what even happened in the first place, he remained silent. He was completely mute on the subject, until now.

Klaus only shrugs, hiding his face in his hands as he continues to cry. Ben frowns at him, wishing he could comfort him physically, but being unable to do so. He watched as his brother cried himself into a restless sleep, sighing. He frowns deeply and stood, disappearing once he made sure his brother would stay asleep until morning.


End file.
